Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Rachel N. Larson, Heather A. Sander
Summary: Niche partitioning reduces interspecific competition, facilitating coexistence. In urban ecosystems, however, habitat loss reduces species' ability to spatially partition activity. Temporal partitioning may thus increase in urban areas as species, unable to avoid each other spatially, partition time to avoid competition. In Midwestern US cities, eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and fox squirrels (S. niger) co-occur and compete for resources. Our study found that both species' activity patterns varied with season, land cover, and among sites where they do and do not co-occur. Temporal niche partitioning may play a role in supporting these species co-existence when competition is seasonally-elevated, but appears less important in other seasons.
Article
Agronomy
Rujing Yang, Xiaoli Yu, Peixiao Nie, Runyao Cao, Jianmeng Feng, Xiaokang Hu
Summary: Grey squirrels from North America are displacing native squirrels in Europe but their climatic niche and range dynamics remain largely unknown. Through niche and range dynamic models, it was found that North American grey squirrels can survive in more variable climatic conditions and have a wider climatic niche breadth than European grey squirrels. If European grey squirrels occupied the same climatic niche space as North American grey squirrels, their potential range would be 2.45 times larger than their current range. The unfilling ranges of European grey squirrels compared to North American grey squirrels were primarily in France, Italy, Spain, Croatia, and Portugal. These findings emphasize the invasion potential of European grey squirrels and the importance of considering niche shifts in invasion risk assessment.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Irene Torres-Blas, Helen Horsler, Ursula M. Paredes, Matthew Perkins, Simon L. Priestnall, Patricia Brekke
Summary: The increased rate of global urbanisation has worsened the public health problem of traffic related air pollution, but little is known about its effects on wildlife health. This study assessed lung health and DNA methylation profiles in Eastern grey squirrel populations across an urban-rural air pollution gradient. Results showed that lung and tracheal diseases were present in a percentage of the squirrels, but there was no significant difference in prevalence or DNA methylation levels between urban and rural sites or NO2 levels. Further research is needed to understand the impact of air pollution on wildlife health.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Deborah Cruciani, Silvia Crotti, Daniele Paoloni, Valentina La Morgia, Andrea Felici, Paola Papa, Gian Mario Cosseddu, Livia Moscati, Paola Gobbi
Summary: Invasive alien species pose a threat to local biodiversity, and the introduction of the Eastern grey squirrel has had a significant impact on the conservation of the native Eurasian red squirrel. Additionally, the non-native squirrels' behavior towards humans can negatively affect public health. The U-SAVEREDS Project aims to protect the Eurasian red squirrel through the eradication of the Eastern grey squirrel and the evaluation of its health impact.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Hannah Dominguez McLaughlin, Colin Lawton, Denita Hadziabdic, Sarah Boggess, Meher Ony, Robert Trigiano
Summary: This study analyzed the genetic profile of grey squirrel populations in Ireland to gain insight into their introduction, evolutionary history in Ireland, and vulnerability to management strategies.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Frederic Sorbe, Tobias Graenzig, Michael Foerster
Summary: As globalization continues, it is crucial to understand the geographical distribution pattern of invasive species in order to effectively manage and minimize their impact on native biodiversity. In this study, the Maxent model was used to predict the potential spatial distribution of U. europaeus, and three bias correction methods were applied. The study found that U. europaeus is primarily distributed in the coastal and central regions of Zona Sur in south-central Chile, with temperature, precipitation, and precipitation seasonality being the most important factors affecting its distribution.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nicole A. Fusco, Bradley J. Cosentino, James P. Gibbs, Maximilian L. Allen, Alexander J. Blumenfeld, George H. Boettner, Elizabeth J. Carlen, Merri Collins, Catherine Dennison, Devin Digiacopo, Andre-Philippe Drapeau Picard, Jonathan Edmonson, M. Caitlin Fisher-Reid, Rebecca Fyffe, Travis Gallo, Alannah Grant, William Harbold, Stephen B. Heard, Diana J. R. Lafferty, Richard M. Lehtinen, Shealyn Marino, John E. Mcdonald, Alessio Mortelliti, Maureen Murray, Amy Newman, Krista N. Oswald, Caitlin Ott-Conn, Jonathan L. Richardson, Rebecca Rimbach, Paul Salaman, Michael Steele, Mason R. Stothart, Mark C. Urban, Kurt Vandegrift, John P. Vanek, Sean N. Vanderluit, Lucie Vezina, Adalgisa Caccone
Summary: Urbanization influences genetic connectivity of eastern grey squirrels, but connected populations are still maintained in forested areas.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Claudia Romeo, Joel Filipe, Lucas A. Wauters, Stefano Comazzi, Federica Riva, Nicola Ferrari
Summary: Based on the EICA hypothesis, reduced investment in immunity after parasite loss may explain the success of invasive alien species. By investigating parasite load and immune responses of Eastern gray squirrels, we found that individuals at the invasion front dampened their inflammatory response and increased their investment in acquired immunity, suggesting a shift in immune strategies along the invasion wave.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ki Hwan Cho, Jeong-Soo Park, Ji Hyung Kim, Yong Sung Kwon, Do-Hun Lee
Summary: Invasion by non-native species due to human activities is a major threat to biodiversity. This study used spatial and non-spatial models to predict the distribution of two invasive plant species in South Korea, and found that regression kriging performed better than the non-spatial model Maxent. Regression kriging takes into account the spatial autocorrelation of the data, making it advantageous for species distribution modeling.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jing Chen, Fangzhou Ma, Yanjing Zhang, Chenbin Wang, Haigen Xu
Summary: The study comprehensively evaluated invasion risk levels of Chinese provinces using multiple invasion indices and taxonomic groups, predicting distribution patterns based on environmental and anthropogenic factors. Results identified 17 provinces as high invasion risk regions, with environmental and anthropogenic factors showing similar prediction abilities on invasive species richness.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Lin Kang, Pawel Michalak, Eric Hallerman, Nancy D. Moncrief
Summary: The eastern fox squirrel, Sciurus niger, displays significant geographic variation in size and coat color. The assembled genome shows high completeness and annotation rates, making it valuable for comparative studies, population genomics, and biomedical research. The predicted amino acid sequence alignments reveal potential point mutations and indels that may impact protein function and ecological adaptation.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Lin Kang, Pawel Michalak, Eric Hallerman, Nancy D. Moncrief
Summary: The study assembled a draft genome of the eastern fox squirrel, predicted a large number of protein-encoding genes, annotated repeat elements, and showed consistency in the species tree topology. The genome assembly can be valuable for studies of genome structure and function, population genomics, and biomedical research.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
George Marbuah, Ing-Marie Gren, Brendan G. Mckie, Laetitia Buisson
Summary: This study explores the economic and ecological factors influencing the occurrence and spread of aquatic invasive species, particularly focusing on the importance of economic activity in driving the invasion of uninvaded lakes by Elodea canadensis species. Utilizing satellite imagery, night-time lights data is used as a proxy for economic activity and mapped to key environmental variables affecting the species' distribution. Evidence from a spatial probit model confirms a robust positive relationship between economic activity and the invasion of uninvaded lakes.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. Blanco, A. R. Larrinaga, J. M. Neto, J. Troncoso, G. Mendez, P. Dominguez-Lapido, A. Ovejero, L. Pereira, T. M. Mouga, R. Gaspar, B. Martinez, M. F. L. Lemos, C. Olabarria
Summary: Invasive macroalgae pose a significant threat to marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. A study mapping the probability of presence of six invasive macroalgae in the north-western Iberian Peninsula found that physico-chemical variables were crucial in predicting their distribution, while anthropogenic factors greatly improved the estimates of occurrence probability for these species. Management efforts should focus on strengthening control and surveillance at ports, particularly in southern Galician rias, to effectively manage these invasive macroalgae.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jordan M. Bush, Michael Ellison, Daniel Simberloff
Summary: Interspecific aggression has important fitness consequences and can lead to declines in native species during species invasions. This study investigated the immediate behavioural consequences of interactions between native green anole lizards and invasive Cuban brown anoles. The results showed that green anoles exhibited smaller home ranges and higher perch heights after the invasion, but these changes were not caused by aggression from the brown anole invaders. Both species preferred to interact with conspecifics, and escalated aggressive behaviours between the two species were rare. The findings suggest that high population densities of brown anoles, rather than direct competition, may be driving the displacement of green anoles across the brown anole's invasive range.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jessica A. Castillo Vardaro, Clinton W. Epps, Benjamin W. Frable, Chris Ray
Article
Environmental Sciences
Adam B. Smith, Erik A. Beever, Aimee E. Kessler, Aaron N. Johnston, Chris Ray, Clinton W. Epps, Hayley C. Lanier, Rob C. Klinger, Thomas J. Rodhouse, Johanna Varner, John D. Perrine, Amy Seglund, L. Embere Hall, Kurt Galbreath, Chris MacGlover, Peter Billman, Gretchen Blatz, Jason Brewer, Jessica Castillo Vardaro, Anna D. Chalfoun, Gail Collins, April Craighead, Chris Curlis, Christopher Daly, Daniel F. Doak, Mitch East, Mark Edwards, Liesl Erb, Kristina A. Ernest, Brian Fauver, Kerry R. Foresman, Ken Goehring, Joan Hagar, Charles L. Hayes, Philippe Henry, Kimberly Hersey, Shannon L. Hilty, Jim Jacobson, Mackenzie R. Jeffress, Tom Manning, Amy Masching, Bryce Maxell, Rayo McCollough, Corrie McFarland, Eric Miskow, Toni Lyn Morelli, Lucas Moyer-Horner, Megan Mueller, Martin Nugent, Beth Pratt, Mary Rasmussen-Flores, Tom H. Rickman, Hillary Robison, Arthur Rodriguez, Karen Rowe, Kevin Rowe, Michael A. Russello, Vicki Saab, Angie Schmidt, Joseph A. E. Stewart, James N. Stuart, Leona K. Svancara, Will Thompson, Julie Timmins, Gregg Treinish, Matthew D. Waterhouse, Marie L. Westover, Jennifer Wilkening, Leah Yandow
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2019)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher C. M. Baker, Jessica A. Castillo Vardaro, Daniel F. Doak, Johan Pansu, Jeremy Puissant, Robert M. Pringle, Corina E. Tarnita
Article
Ecology
Jessica A. Castillo Vardaro, Juan A. Bonachela, Christopher C. M. Baker, Malin L. Pinsky, Daniel F. Doak, Robert M. Pringle, Corina E. Tarnita
Summary: Studying the impact of competition and spatial heterogeneity on the regularity of colony dispersion in fungus-farming termites, the research shows that highly ordered patterns emerge under high competition, abundant resources, and low resource heterogeneity. This analysis provides new insights into the mechanisms that modulate pattern regularity and the effects of these patterns on system-wide productivity. The results demonstrate how environmental context shapes pattern formation by social-insect ecosystem engineers, offering an explanation for the variability observed across ecosystems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. L. Whipple, C. Ray, J. Varner, J. N. Kitchens, A. A. Hove, J. A. Castillo Vardaro, J. L. Wilkening
Summary: Relating physiological stress to habitat quality can improve conservation efforts. In this study, we measured fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels in the American pika and explored the effects of various habitat metrics on stress levels. The results showed that stress levels were influenced by season, elevation, the presence of subsurface ice, plant ratios, and measures of acute subsurface heat exposure.
ARCTIC ANTARCTIC AND ALPINE RESEARCH
(2022)